Knee Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or chronic condition that could be linked to his current condition.

The Board found that the veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee is not due to disease or injury in service and denied his claim for service connection. The rating for his service-connected residuals of a shell fragment wound of the right knee, including scars, foreign bodies, and Osgood-Schlatter's disease, was upheld at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right knee disability warrants a 20 percent rating effective April 22, 1996.

The veteran's chronic left knee disorder and bilateral shin splints were both incurred in service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA orthopedic examination to assess the severity of her bilateral knee disabilities.

The veteran's left knee disability, characterized by a fracture and chronic draining sinus tract, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has determined that the criteria for a higher rating have been met.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and a left knee disorder, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to service or exposure to radiation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left knee and lower back disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and granted it. Service connection is also granted for a back disability, but not for a left knee disability or pes planus with pain in the metacarpal phalangeal joints, big toe, left foot.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for residuals of a left knee sprain, finding the disability to be 'slight' with no more than slight recurrent subluxation or lateral instability.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including informing him of the information and evidence needed to substantiate his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral patellofemoral knee disorder and unspecified headaches are related to service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the veteran.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings were denied. The RO increased the disability rating for patellofemoral syndrome of the right knee from 10 to 20 percent effective June 11, 2002 and for left patellofemoral syndrome from a zero percent to a 10 percent rating effective April 13, 2004. The veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain and varicose veins were not addressed in this decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected right ankle disability is manifested by moderate limitation of motion and pain, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes. The veteran's knee condition was initially granted but remains at a noncompensable level.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic right or left knee disorder during service and concluded that the current disabilities are not related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities, right and left knee disabilities, as well as his initial compensable ratings for hemorrhoids and low back disability.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for service-connected osteoarthritis of the left knee and denied service connection for PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and knee disabilities, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied back disability. The decision also addressed evaluations for right and left hip disabilities, finding that they did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for an increased rating for a right knee disability and service connection for a chronic back disorder as secondary to his service-connected right knee disability due to conflicting evidence. The veteran should be scheduled for another VA examination.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and then readjudicate the claim of reopening service connection for a left knee disorder.